Luck's Draw
by sweetlit
Summary: That cruel shade of bright silver that I eyed in front of me was the same as the shine of the moonlight on his hair. It encircled the black hole in a perfect circle, the cool metal pressing deeper into my neck. "Time's up. Shoot." Bang! And all went black... (Note: Off the anime storyline of Arcana.) DebitoxOC
1. Chapter 1 - A Meeting of Dreams

Running a hand through his combed, silver hair, Debito breathed in a long drag from his cigarette. His Bambina often lectured him on this habit but it was in these particular moments that he needed the nicotine pumping through his vein in order to calm down. 'She's sweet isn't she, my Bambina,' he thought with a grin, 'la mia ragazza speciale, my _special_ girl.' He let out a sigh as a puff of smoke diffused in front of his eyes. Through the haze he saw the blue sky and closed his eyes, feeling the fullness of peace around him. 'This is nice once in awhile,' Debito closed his eyes and settled comfortably in his chair…

* * *

"Debito! Debito! Wake up!" He felt small hands shaking his shoulders, and he knit his brow together as he grudgingly opened his eyes. His eyes fell on his Bambina, and his knit brow was dispelled in an instant.

"What is it, il mio Bambina?" He asked, flashing his iconic grin.

"You'll be late for the party!" She exclaimed before strutting away with a pout on her face.

'Alright,' he thought 'time for work,' as he heaved himself out of his chair and stretched out a bit before returning to his room to change.

* * *

"Welcome signori and signorinas to the Roulette Dei Sogni!" He took a deep breath from his cigarette and blew out a puff of smoke. "Enjoy yourselves tonight. Call me if you need me anytime." He winked charmingly at the crowd.

'She's a lady,' he thought as he observed a woman modestly revealing straight posture and a gentle dress. 'This should be interesting,' she had quickly ruined the little grandeur she had emitted by stumbling over herself and then running into one of the card dealers who flashed her a dirty look. She apologized awkwardly and regained her composure and grace until another man ran into her and as she attempted to catch herself, she ripped her stocking. Debito slowly made his way in approaching her.

"Oh dear, Theo will be so angry…he sacrificed his poor watch for this outfit…" She mumbled to herself as pulled out a sewing kit to Debito's surprise and began mending it in the middle of casino. "There!" She exclaimed with a bright smile and stood up abruptly, only to run into Debito's chest.

She observed in an instant his handsome and dark features, offset by the gleam from his silver hair. 'Perhaps he's aging quickly,' she thought. But to say it out loud would be rude so she kept her mouth shut. Looking at his eye patch, she changed her mind. 'No, he's definitely a pirate!'

Debito cut into her thoughts, "I wouldn't mind if a beautiful signorina such as yourself would fall into my arms like this every night." He smoothly said as he took her hand and kissed it lightly. As their eyes met, he gave her a little wink and placed his hand on her small of her back, leading her to the bar.

"Would you mind a drink?" His hand reached over the counter to grab a small glass which he placed in front of her as she sat tensely in her seat, holding in her fist her scrunched up stocking. Somehow, she felt too childish in her baby blue dress in front of this man. "No need to be so tense, here, have a glass of this." He handed her an amber colored drink.

"T-thank you." She stuttered as she politely took the drink and took a small sip, sputtering and coughing as she choked on the drink.

'Hmm, perhaps the grace was imagined,' Debito concluded. "No, no, no, signorina. When you drink, you take a shot like this." He tilted his head back and emptied an invisible glass of whiskey.

"Oh, sorry. I was trying to mind my manners but drinking here is the same as anywhere I suppose." She readied herself and drained her glass quickly with a sip that rivaled the local tavern's best. A small burp also escaped the confines of her mouth, producing a wonderful cherry effect on her cheeks.

"Excuse me, signor…" She looked down and averted her eyes as far as possible.

Debito gave a deep chuckle and asked, "Do you dance as well as you drink, signorina?"

"Oh yes, yes, I love to dance, though I've only danced with my brother Theo before…" She rambled. This newfound fact eased one of the creases that lined his forehead with the mention of the name Theo.

"Alright, then we dance." He said with a smile and led her to the ballroom where many couples were rather engaged in a slightly different sport than dance.

Unlike the brightly lit entrance, this room was somewhat darker, almost completely candlelit. It was just a bit eerie but also softly romantic, creating a heavy mood in the room. Soft jazz music floated around; swirling around the couples who were holding hands or even kissing.

"Your name and hand, signorina." Debito offered her his hand.

"A-Angela, and I have never danced like this before…" Her voice faltered as her body gave away how tense and awkward she felt in the room.

"Relax, Angela, here, first you should take my hand. We'll start from there, alright?" She hesitantly gave him her worn hand. He noticed that she lacked the smooth porcelain skin and posh silk gloves the other ladies had and carried. Her hand was much more calloused from work and wear. If she were truly a working class woman, how did she even make it passed the doors of his casino?

Stepping in tune with the music, Angela felt overly conscious of Debito's hands at her waist as well as on her shoulder. They were firmly clasped on her body as they guided her movements in the dance, letting go and grasping her lithe body as necessary. As she felt the room slip from her sight as Debito dipped her, he leaned in just a little closer and whispered, "You follow very well, Angela but you're just a little…tense."

Angela felt the blood and drink suddenly rush to her head as she was repositioned upright, and she nearly forgot to breathe. At the least the room was only as bright as the remnants of twilight so it was difficult for him to see her half-unconscious dazed expression.

"Thank you, Angela for this pleasant dance. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." And then he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Fiery Silence

It was all quiet in every nook and cranny of Regalo. The island lacked its' usual cawing of the seagulls, the lapping of the waves on the white shores, and the sound of its' townspeople moving about. The people were indoors no doubt, few ventured to leave home at all on such an unfortunate day. Lady Luck was not with them, as forecasted by the blooming of the black roses and so the silence fell like a heavy blanket, muffling all other disturbances, making everyone drowsy.

Angela felt the silence permeate the bar. She barely had heard her shoes click against the cobblestone road and when she had entered, she was unable to fathom that the bar could have ever been so barren or noiseless. Her eyes were drawn to the fire place, warm and blazing. At the least it provided some warmth to what had become such a melancholy island. She slid in to her usual seat in the corner and ordered a mug of hot coffee and some sugar cookies, needing to get a little sugar and adrenaline pumping in her blood.

"Thanks, Helda." Angela immediately picked up the mug with her slender fingers, feeling the heat from the mug slightly burn her fingertips. The bitter, smoky taste permeated her mouth, offset only by the creaminess of milk and the slight aftertaste of artificial sweetener. She relished the way it poured down her throat all the way down to her aching bones… She thought in response, 'It'll rain soon.'

Helda, a slender woman with short, sleek black hair plopped down next to her, with a plate of extra bread and butter on a silver serving tray. Her lightly tanned complexion intensified the soft brown color of her eyes and it made Angela feel right at home. She took a quick survey past Helda of the bar and realized actually how large it actually was since all the people missing. It had a quaint rustic feel, made entirely of wood and stone and peppered with wire metal antiques. There were two other customers besides them, one the local drunkard who never bothered to leave and the other who seemed to have stopped by only for a cheap, quick meal. Not even the other employees had bothered to even show.

"Guess you're my only real customer today." Helda gave a sigh, and she picked up the knife to butter her bread. "So, how's my heartbroken darling?"

"I'm not heartbroken! I told you that I don't like anyone!" Angela heaved, redness creeping onto her cheeks.

"Liar, you came home late looking like you were about to burst into chorus like a songbird and then went about groaning and moping in your room for last three days! If that's not because of some infatuation then what is it? A new strain of a strep throat? You're not fooling me young lady!" Helda turned to Angela in anger and looked at her straight in the eyes. "Look at me and tell me that _nothing_ at all happened this week."

Angela shifted uncomfortably in her seat and refused to look up. "I can't tell you what I did because it was something I had to see for myself… to strengthen my resolve. But I'll admit that someone caught my interest… Also, please don't tell Theo anything."

"Alright, I'm still suspicious but you know you can count on me for anything." Helda took a long sip of her coffee and elbowed her friend in the waist. "Just promise me that you'll be safe, okay?"

"I promise." Angela straightened up and held up her right hand in mock of an oath. Both women burst out laughing, recalling their childhood days when they used to swear with their right hand and smack each other across the cheek, sealing the deal. There were never any hard feelings though.

Helda's slender fingers slipped out of her pocket a thin pipe that she lit with a match and placed on her lips. "Ange, you should know that your slap hurt way more than when Miles cheated on me. No heartbreak could compare to your brute strength!"

"Thanks, I enjoy being a brawly manly-man." Angela poised her arms in a flexing position, plastered a stern, grim look on her face, and huffed in a gruff old man's voice.

Helda chuckled and let out a breath of smoke. "Let's get home. I'm closing early today." She deftly pulled off her apron and chucked it over the counter. The other man had already left and Angela picked up his cheese and pasta sauce covered paper plate and threw it out. They wrapped a portion of the leftover lasagna into a box to take home for dinner. "Old man Giuliano, we're leaving. There's a little lasagna on the counter if you need it for later."

"Erhmm…thanks…take care." He grumbled and shifted his head on his arms a bit.

The two immediately felt the silence weigh on their shoulders the moment they stepped outside and hastened their pace to reach home. Though there was sunlight slanting through the buildings, it was in a sense cold and unwelcoming, tinged paler than usual, accompanied by an equally inhospitable deep blue sky. When they finally walked through the doorway and shut the door behind them, they let out the breath they had been holding since they departed from the tavern. Just as the atmosphere of the inn had begun to relax their muscles, they were startled by light rapping on the front door.

* * *

"There's no one on the streets today…" Pace commented, his stomach grumbling as it was starting to complain about its emptiness. He glanced at his watch with disdain for it read at least thirty minutes until lunch. True to Pace's comment, the marketplace was utterly empty and Debito's casino didn't even open until after 10 pm.

"Perhaps they saw the roses and followed the wise woman's words regarding these." Debito plucked one of the black roses and crushed it in his hands. He wasn't afraid of the curse upon those roses, but he still hated the sight of them; they stirred a dark flame in his chest, boiling with the sorrow of revenge.

"What are we going to eat for lunch then?" Pace groaned, letting his head fall to his chest.

"Look, there's an open bar over there. Maybe we can get some food." Luca pointed with his gloved hand. They approached the bar to find that the doors were locked and the shades were drawn. Out of the corner of his eye, Pace noticed the slight movement of a dress a few blocks from them and smelling keenly, he zoned in on the lingering smell of lasagna.

"After them!" Pace announced to his friends as he took off, his footsteps landing lightly on the cobblestone street. Driven by the smell and propelled by his hunger, he followed the Ms. Lasagna across the street, turned left and then swiveled right, and then down into the more run down side of town. His friends were a few feet behind him, attempting to catch up. Pace arrived at the corner of Parlor and Mare when he noticed a door close lightly at the end of the street. He raced up and was about to knock when he felt gravity pull him into the warm embrace of the ground.

"What are you–" Pace attempted to yell and was silenced by Debito's fingerless gloved palm pressed against his mouth. "Mmrgh! Mnuff!"

"Pace, let me ask, what are _you_ thinking going off like that!" Debito whispered harshly in his ear. The mood of the city seemed to suppress any will to make loud noises.

Pace pushed Debito off him and removed his hand. "But I smelled lasagna!" he cried, about to knock on the door again. Debito however pulled him back and was about to smack him with the butt of his pistol when Luca swiftly intervened and politely knocked instead.

"What are you doing Luca!" Debito demanded when the door swung open and they found themselves face to face with the irresistible smell of tomatoes, garlic, and cheese wrapped up in a large aluminum foil wrapped container in the arms of a familiar looking face.

"Helda! Is this where you live?" Pace scrambled to his feet and disregarded Luca who was about to clear his throat and articulate his desire to purchase some of the food.

"Pace! My goodness, it really is you! Oh we all miss you so much at the bar!" Helda remarked and shoved the lasagna at Luca and threw her arms around Pace.

"Do you know each other?" Luca asked, utterly confused and still holding the lasagna.

"Oh yes," Helda replied with a warm smile. "Pace actually stops by at our bar to eat our lasagna often. Even old man Giuliano doesn't mind Pace, even though he acts so grumpy."

"Oh, Angela, I didn't know you were here too!" Pace came over and gave Angela a hug as her small frame was revealed behind Helda's.

"Angela…?" Debito repeated mostly to himself.

"All of you come inside for some food; we were just going to fix up some lunch anyways." Helda announced and she rushed out of the entranceway and into the kitchen. As the men filed inside, Debito's eyes fell on Angela, the woman he had met a few days earlier.

'Ah, this Angela!' he thought to himself. "Ciao, signorina." he greeted, lifting her hand to his lips.

"Oh, hello, I… never seemed to have caught your name…" She squirmed in his grasp, feeling small in his presence. His personality was quite open in front of the ladies but nevertheless his intimidating aura never left him and in the day without the spell of alcohol, she was much too nervous to look him in the eye.

"It's Debito," the piercing gaze of his golden eyes attempted to follow the ceaseless shifting of her body and he let go of her hand. He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "And thanks for the dance Angela; it was wonderful to see you so red in my arms."

He brushed lightly past Angela towards the dining room. Angela's eyes widened and she felt red paint being slapped on her cheeks by his words. She thought to herself, 'Agh! His words are so corny! I'm dying…' But otherwise she flicked her head to the side and said under her breath in spite of herself, "I-It wasn't like that… at all…"

"Angela, come set up the table!" Helda hollered for help.

"A-Alright!" Angela yelled back, rushing to the dining room with the silverware. She heard Helda yell at Pace to help her with the food. As placed serving plates, cups, and utensils on top of the white tablecloth, she felt the stare of two pairs of cautious eyes on her back. The window let in some of the cool sunlight and they all took their seats. Helda sat at the head of the table and when everyone was situated in the tiny dining room, Helda expressed thanks for the food and let everyone dig in.

"The food is delicious!" Luca exclaimed with a bright smile, dabbing his mouth delicately with a napkin while Pace next to him just kept shoveling lasagna into his mouth without any concern for manners.

Angela and Helda chuckled at the gesture; it was quite the commonplace at the bar. Pace often kept extra clothes on hand at the bar because he got a little too messy at times and no one minded much. Manners weren't quite so emphasized in a place made for drinking.

"I apologize on behalf of Pace for his terrible table etiquette." Luca bowed humbly and Pace narrowed his eyes at Luca.

"Don't worry, we don't mind at all!" Helda smiled, eating sparsely as usual.

Debito was quiet, holding his peace as he ate his food. He was a guest after all and tried to be polite. However, his left hand for some reason remained still in his lap and he seemed uneasy and rather anxious to leave. It was almost as if he felt something was inherently wrong with the situation.

Bang! The three men tensed at the sound and the door suddenly burst open, flying from their hinges. The thugs filed in and began shooting as Debito quickly flipped the table on its side and shot with his twin pistols from across the room. Helda and Angela crept into the kitchen and grabbed the hose that was connected to the deck and drenched the thugs with a strong stream of water. The soldiers began to retreat as Pace and Luca stepped forward to disarm and knock out a few more of the men who had attempted to raid the house. When they were fully chased out, Helda and Angela let out a deep breath and asked in unison, "Who were they?"

"They're a group of thugs called the Fiamma." Luca said, beginning to panic as the acrid smell of smoke filled his nose. "They hold a grudge against the Arcana Family and go around killing the citizens and committing arson. We need to get out of this house!"

Just as he had finished speaking, an explosion shook the very foundations of the house and the blast caused the house to bend and shift. The flames quickly began to devour the wooden base and lick up to the second floor. Pace pushed Helda and Angela out of the house with Luca and Debito trailing behind them. In the corner of Angela's eye, she noticed empty cans of gasoline abandoned near the high wall and they all saw that the entire street was ablaze with houses surrendering pitifully to the flames. The street was empty of people for they had all been shot in their very homes and only a few spectators had crawled out to witness the tragedy. Helda watched in horror as the house that she had saved and bought with Matthew crumpled and collapsed, defeated by the raging fire. She didn't cry, she refused to, but just as the house crumpled, so did she to her knees and she sat there, watching the fire set off an incredible thumping in the back of her skull. Helda watched patiently until her vision swam with the orange light and the heat was suffocating all around her. She watched, and she watched, and she watched… until there was nothing left to see but a pile of charred ashes.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Aftermath

Walking down the streets of Regalo after dark was in particular eerie today compared to other nights. The sparse amount of trees created few shadows for malicious intents to lurk in, but in exchange, the full moon cast a strong brightness on the white washed buildings, emitting a brilliant but startling light on the town. The few shadows created were sharp and intense in saturation, portraying the island to have an almost linear quality, defined by dark shadows and empty white space. Moreover, the silence was still, as thick as a block of lead unshaken by chaos that had occurred earlier. It was almost as if the emotion and noise died with the fire.

Helda limply hung on Pace's shoulders after a few hours of exhaustion wore her down. Angela recalled Helda's lanky silhouette slump among the crumbling ashes as she sifted aimlessly through the remnants of what had been her dream. Angela's own hands had wrung at the sides of her dress, and the heat and sweat had warped the fabric, creasing it with many jagged lines. The whole time, she bit her lower lip and let not a single tear fall. As he walked besides her, Debito noticed that the blood Angela had drawn from her lip had crusted and stained it with a rich, dark wine color. It was starkly disturbing in contrast to her pale skin which had not grown a shade ruddier as time passed. She walked with a strong pace on her own two feet, but her shoulders drooped and her hands still sought something to wrangle.

The moment that they had turned the corner, they arrived at the Arcana Famiglia estate. Water trickling steadily from the fountain broke the quiet of the island, leaving the house untouched by its spell. Luca went ahead, heading towards Mondo's office to inform him of their two guests. Pace took the lead, hastening to his room so he could tend to Helda's health. Angela's hand reached to turn the knob on Pace's door but was suddenly snatched away and jerked further down the hall. He swiftly guided her behind a door and lifted his gloved hand to her chin. His other hand drew to her lips, his fingertips tapping and tracing the blood that was highlighted by the gleam cutting in from the window. He looked at her through his single golden eye.

"Now we better get _you_ cleaned up." He said, pulling her towards another door.

Angela let herself be led, her muscles ached and convulsed from the overexertion of force with which she had held her wrinkled clothing. Her heavy eyelids were starting to close and just as they entered the bathroom, she shook herself free with her remaining strength and braced herself against the sink. Her breaths were uneven and nausea was stirring violently in her stomach. Understandingly, he sat her down on a small stool and ran the tap water and wet a clean cloth, dabbing it over her face and throat. The arm that she held convulsed repeatedly, indicating the numbness spreading over her limbs and he gently massaged it, attempting to relieve the pain.

Between shallow breaths she managed to say, "Thank you…I'm…so...sorry about this…"

"It's alright Angela, rest for today." He answered, watching as her eyes closed. Afterwards he proceeded to lift her up and place her on the bed. When she was properly tucked in, he left the room and found Pace leaning on his room's door as well.

"Is she alright Pace?" Debito asked, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a small click.

"Yeah, she's fine for now. She probably needs a few days to recover but I'm not worried. Helda's a good woman who can stand up again, even if it's not right away." Pace looked up thoughtfully.

"Well, I have Angela in my room so we should just crash at Luca's. I want to discuss with Dante what we should do anyways. The damned Fiamma better learn their place already or so pray to God that they'll be saved from the hell I'll give them." The smoke from the cigarette lazily ascended higher in the air, until it dispersed so far back in time that the wispy white fumes transformed into a blacker and thicker smog.

* * *

They arrived at the doorsteps of the one building that seemed curvy by nature. As they entered, their eyes were relieved by the soft yellow glow of lamplight. The two women glanced at each other, smirking in response and allowing a graceful chuckle to float from their airy mouths. "Un momento, due vite." They mouthed into the darkness, chanting softly. Both women ascended the stairs and disappeared, engulfed by the silence of midnight on the island of Regalo.


End file.
